Baldwin & Co. Ideas Explored
Books & Literature
About
This podcast is your front-row seat to the world of intellectual thought, creative expression, books, ideas, and thought-provoking conversations with some of the most brilliant minds and celebrated authors of our time.
Episodes
- Uncovering Hidden Deaths by Police Officers - Terence Keel
In this episode, Terence Keel explores how societal biases contribute to incomplete coroner's reports, particularly in cases involving state institutions. He discusses the concept of "coroner's silence" and its impact on understanding the…
- What They Fear You Might Learn! -- Nikesha Elise Williams & Taylor Murphy
Nikesha Elise Williams and Taylor Murphy discuss Williams' book "The Seven Daughters of Dupree," exploring themes of history, identity, and storytelling spanning 160 years of Black womanhood. The conversation touches on slavery, generation…
- Why Smart People Are Quitting The News - Maya Shankar & Evan Smith
Cognitive scientist Maya Shankar and journalist Evan Smith explore why people are disengaging from the news, citing the psychological toll of information overload, doomscrolling, and media distrust. They argue this disengagement, driven by…
- How Black Artists Reclaim Beauty From Pain. - Irvin Weathersby Jr. & Gia Hamilton
Irvin Weathersby Jr. and Gia Hamilton explore the transformative power of storytelling in processing grief and trauma. They discuss how Black artists reclaim beauty from pain and create archives to preserve their truths.
- How Racist Ideas Spread! - Ibram X. Kendi & Eddie Glaude Jr.
Eddie Glaude Jr. and Ibram X. Kendi discuss confronting racism, challenging the sufficiency of sentiment and symbolism over structural change, and the politicization of anti-racism. They also analyze the Great Replacement Theory and author…
- If You’re Not Uncomfortable, You’re Not Doing Enough. Gary Chambers and Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon Talk!
Gary Chambers and Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon explore Black liberation strategies beyond activism, emphasizing economic and political action, community resistance, and the importance of unity and perseverance. They challenge the myth of self-made…
- Black People Need to Stop Waiting for the System to Save Us! -- Ben Crump & Gary Chambers
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and activist Gary Chambers discuss the ongoing struggle for Black liberation, highlighting the historical connection between economic independence and civil rights advancements, and the need for relentless a…
- Why Black Women Aren’t Your Metaphor! -- Tia Williams
Author Tia Williams shares her career path, from beauty editing to publishing her novel Seven Days in June, emphasizing the authentic portrayal of Black women in romance and rejecting the notion of them being mere metaphors.
- Are You REALLY Safe at the Doctor? Dr. Uché Blackstock Explains The Real Reason We Mistrust Hospitals
Dr. Uché Blackstock, an emergency physician, and journalist Jarvis DeBerry discuss systemic racism in the US healthcare system and its impact on Black patients and health professionals. Dr. Blackstock shares her personal journey and challe…
- Black History Is Buried—Literally. Here's Who's Digging It Up From the Water. -- Tara Roberts & Alexandra Jones
National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts and archaeologist Dr. Alexandra Jones explore the deep metaphor of water, Black history, and environmental justice, drawing from Roberts’ memoir "Written in the Waters." They discuss water as a sym…
- Why Justice Terrifies White Supremacist More Than Revenge -- Kellie Carter Jackson & Shennette Garrett-Scott
Historian Kellie Carter Jackson challenges traditional narratives of Black suffering, arguing that Black resistance has been a constant, deliberate, and strategic force throughout American history. This episode, part of Baldwin & Co.`s ong…
- Why Do Black People Define Blackness & Black Progress So Narrowly? - Kehinde Andrews & Sean Goode
Kehinde Andrews and Sean Goode engage in a dialogue exploring the narrow definitions of Blackness and Black progress, using Malcolm X as a lens. The conversation delves into identity, power, structural racism, capitalism, and the collectiv…
- The Most Dangerous Lie: “The Water Is Fine” - Phyllis R. Dixon & Cecilia Guillen
Phyllis R. Dixon and Cecilia Guillen discuss Dixon's novel 'Something in the Water,' focusing on themes of contaminated water, political corruption, and environmental justice.
- Trump Didn't Break America...This Did. -- Jamelle Bouie & Nathan Robinson
Jamelle Bouie and Nathan J. Robinson argue that the main threat to American democracy is not public apathy or authoritarianism, but a crisis in the legitimacy of elites and institutions that have not kept pace with public values. They sugg…
- Education Was Never the Goal, Knowledge Is. -- Daniel Black & Michael Harriot
Dr. Daniel Black and Michael Harriot explore the Black experience in America, discussing ancestral wisdom, survival, and the concept of Black knowledge as a weapon and a form of rebellion.
- Why America Chose White Supremacy Over Democracy - Jamelle Bouie & Carla Laroche
Jamelle Bouie and Carla Laroche discuss the betrayal of Reconstruction's promises by white supremacy and Jim Crow, drawing parallels to contemporary issues like birthright citizenship and equal protection. They highlight Louisiana's histor…
- Is Striving For Black Excellence Killing Us? Dr. Uché Blackstock SOUNDS OFF on Working 2x as Hard!
Dr. Uché Blackstock and Jarvis DeBerry discuss systemic bias, the pressures of Black excellence, and the emotional toll of racism in medicine and education, drawing from Blackstock's book "Legacy." The conversation addresses the challenges…
- The Moment Pain Becomes Identity, Freedom Starts Losing Bids -- Shaka Senghor & Jerid P. Woods
Shaka Senghor, a leading voice in criminal justice reform and author, joins Jerid Woods to discuss societal issues like rage and victimhood. They explore themes of resilience, race, personal agency, and the journey to freedom by reclaiming…
- When Injustice Becomes Law, Resistance Becomes Duty! - Kellie Carter Jackson
Historians Kellie Carter Jackson and Shennette Garrett-Scott explore how Black women utilize literature, history, and storytelling as methods of survival and resistance. They argue that empathy and incorporating personal experience into hi…
- They Want to Erase Us: A "Season of Destruction" -- Eddie Glaude Jr & Imani Perry
Eddie Glaude Jr. and Imani Perry discuss a "season of destruction" where the legacy of the freedom movement is being erased, analyzing "freedom snatching" versus "freedom seeking" and critiquing modern success metrics. They argue for study…
- Why Vulnerability Makes Better Art & The Thing About Falling - Tank Ball
Tarriona "Tank" Ball explores vulnerability in art and her poetry collection "The Thing About Falling," focusing on self-expression after heartbreak. The discussion highlights writing as an exposed art form that names and dignifies emotion…
- What Firstborn Girls Carry - Bernice McFadden
Bernice L. McFadden discusses her memoir "Firstborn Girls," focusing on themes of Black womanhood, generational trauma, and resilience. In conversation with Dr. Ebony Perro, McFadden explains how her personal history intertwines with broad…
- Why Working Hard Will Keep You Poor - Earn Your Leisure + Larry Morrow + David Shands
Earn Your Leisure co-founders Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, alongside hospitality mogul Larry Morrow, share insights on wealth-building, overcoming imposter syndrome, and leveraging cultural capital. Moderated by David Shands at Baldwin…
- Art Is Not Decoration—It’s Declaration. - Charly Palmer & Tonya Boyd-Cannon
Visual artist Charly Palmer and vocalist Tonya Boyd-Cannon share a conversation about art, ancestry, mental health, and creative purpose. They discuss how grief, trauma, and memory influence their work, and how art serves as a form of surv…
- This Should Scare Us! - Malcolm Gladwell & Mitch Landrieu
Malcolm Gladwell and Mitch Landrieu discuss how culture, not capital, holds societies together, using New Orleans as a lens to examine America's deeper fractures. They warn that declining civic engagement and comfort with autocracy pose si…
- The Language White America Can't Hear: Dr. Daniel Black & Avery Young
Dr. Daniel Black and Avery Young explore Black forms of communication beyond words, including rhythm, melody, and gesture. They discuss how Black expression served as protection and resistance, with gospel and blues acting as distinct yet…
- Why Education Must Change Now! Billionaire, Robert F. Smith Explains.
Robert F. Smith and Dr. Monique Guillory discuss the urgent need for educational institutions, particularly HBCUs, to adapt to the rapid changes brought by AI and the new economy. Smith emphasizes that the traditional
- Black Women Built the Human Rights Movement—History Forgot: Keisha N. Blain & Kathe Hambrick Discuss
Historian Keisha N. Blain discusses her book "Without Fear," highlighting the overlooked contributions of Black women as architects of the global human rights movement from the 19th century to the present. The conversation covers their int…
- America's Moral Collapse & Should We Burn It All Down!? Don Lemon & Charles Blow Discuss.
Don Lemon and Charles Blow engage in a candid discussion about America's moral state, addressing race, power, and the myth of progress. They critique respectability politics, coalition fatigue, and the concept of a post-racial America, exp…
- Imani Perry & Maurice Ruffin: What Happens When the Law No Longer Exists?
Imani Perry and Maurice Carlos Ruffin examine American democracy, the erasure of Black voices, and the role of literature as a tool for confrontation and resistance. This Baldwin & Co. Author Dialogues episode explores themes of history, c…
- White Privilege: The Real American Scam: W. Kamau Bell and Cebo Campbell Discuss
W. Kamau Bell and Cebo Campbell engage in a candid discussion about white privilege, power dynamics, and racial inequality in America. They explore how societal structures often overlook indigenous wisdom and Black creativity while rewardi…
- Dr. Daniel Black: Masculinity That Doesn’t Destroy Us!
This episode features Dr. Daniel Black discussing generational trauma, the myths surrounding Black masculinity, and the importance of vulnerability and ancestral wisdom for healing and freedom. Dr. Black shares insights on reclaiming aband…
- Ta-Nehisi Coates & Joy-Ann Reid: America Never Cared About Israel or Jewish People, Here's The Real Reason They Are Funding Genocide!
Ta-Nehisi Coates and Joy-Ann Reid discussed America's historical stance on Israel, persistent racism in White America, and the funding of the Gaza conflict by US tax dollars. The conversation took place at Baldwin & Co. bookstore.
- Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah: Pen Your Protest, They Can’t Control Us if We Keep Writing
Bestselling author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah talks with Jerid P. Woods about how his work intersects fiction and truth, exploring systemic issues like capitalism and injustice. The conversation occurs on the Baldwin & Co. Ideas Explored pod…
- Bakari Sellers: When Dictatorship Becomes a Fact, Revolution Becomes a Right.
Jarvis Deberry and Bakari Sellers engage in a discussion about authoritarianism, its historical and modern implications, and the necessity of collective action against oppression.
- Tamron Hall: How Food Bonds Relationships and Becomes The Glue That Holds Them Together.
Tamron Hall and Lish Steiling discuss how food serves as a universal language that strengthens relationships, fosters connections, and creates lasting memories through shared meals and cooking experiences.
- Eddie Glaude Jr. and Imani Perry: Imagining Freedom in Captivity
On the Baldwin & Co. Podcast, Eddie Glaude Jr. and Imani Perry explore the concept of imagining freedom even when experiencing captivity. They delve into how the human spirit envisions liberation through history, culture, and personal stru…
- Jesmyn Ward and Clint Smith: Writing Our Roots
Authors Jesmyn Ward and Clint Smith explore how storytelling preserves history, honors ancestry, and illuminates Black experiences across generations. They discuss the influence of personal journeys, historical memory, and literature's rol…
- Nikole Hannah-Jones and Dr. Daniel Black: America's Untold Truths!
Nikole Hannah-Jones and Dr. Daniel Black engage in a dialogue about reclaiming erased histories, the emotional labor of discussing race in America, and how literature can inspire healing and action.
- Nicole Richie and Cleo Wade: How to Unlock Your Growth, Live Intentionally & Find Your Alignment
Nicole Richie and Cleo Wade explore the transformative power of reading for personal growth, intentional living, and finding alignment. They share insights on how literature can catalyze self-discovery and purpose, offering actionable advi…
- Introducing Baldwin & Co. Author Dialogues
This podcast, Baldwin & Co. Author Dialogues, features conversations with authors and thought leaders, delving into their inspirations and the stories behind their works. It aims to connect readers and curious minds through discussions on…